Death is a natural part of life. Without one, the other cannot exist. And in 2012, many heavyweights of the entertainment world were lost. Sometimes death can be a moment to mourn those we've lost, but also celebrate their achievements.
Perhaps the most notable death of 2012 was that of Whitney Houston. Houston passed away at age 48 in February of this year, and with her the world mourned. Houston was a true icon in every sense of the word: her voice was like none other in the world, and her death served as a wake-up call to the real dangers of narcotics. It is said that "despite her past personal troubles, she still became one of the most successful and award-winning female artists of all time." Whether on-screen in The Bodyguard and Sparkle, or on-stage at the Grammy Awards, Houston made every moment shine with her golden vocal chords, and her loss will be felt far beyond her 48 years of life.
In August we lost iconic and barrier-breaking female comedian Phyllis Diller. Diller was "often cited as a pioneer of comedy, helping establish women in Hollywood as legitimate stand-up talent." Her work as a female comedian started "in radio in the 50s, before leveraging the appearances into television spots and a full touring career." A feat, no doubt, impressive at any time, but especially while Diller was doing it. During the 60s, Diller starred alongside Bob Hope in 23 television specials and three films.
Another female icon gone too soon was Nora Ephron, a woman who wore many hats, including director, writer, journalist, and more in her impressive career. In our obituary for Ephron, we discussed the "surprisingly diverse and fantastic career," of hers, one "with nary a creative miss on her IMDb page." She wrote and directed some of the most classic romantic comedies out there, including Sleepless in Seattle, You've Got Mail, and Julie &amp; Julia, Heartburn, and When Harry Met Sally. "What separated Ephron from her counterparts was not only her distinct sense of humor, but the way that she could create original, complex female characters and put them in traditional movies without making them seem simple or pandering." It is a universal truth that the name Nora Ephron "was a hallmark of the quality that she brought to all of her work."
Hero to space nerds and humans everywhere was Neil Armstrong, who lost a battle with complications from a heart bypass surgery in August. His first steps on the moon were "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" even though, in the end, Armstrong fancied himself "a reluctant American hero who always believed he was just doing his job."
A shocking loss was the unexpected death of Green Mile actor Michael Clarke Duncan, who was especially known for his booming voice and hulking stature. But not only that, Duncan was a comedy man. "Duncan's comedic timing coupled with his action-star prowess made him a staple in other films," including Daredevil, a remake of Planet of the Apes, Sin City and animated kids' film Kung-Fu Panda.
One of the longest-running careers in Hollywood was cut short in July when Ernest Borgnine passed away. The charismatic 95-year-old had a career that spanned decades. Six, in fact, "making him an icon of the business, beloved and respected by many." He was mostly-known for his work as a character actor, where "Borgnine made the Hollywood scene his playground, making a name for himself with generally villainous roles. His career-bucking role as a lovelorn butcher in 1955’s Marty won him an Oscar for Best Actor." Other highlights of his career included 1953's From Here to Eternity, and his long-standing run on TV's McHale’s Navy as the title character Quinton McHale.
Author and political and gay activist Gore Vidal left us in July, and with him an iconic voice of truth-telling and honesty in writing. From the plays (and screenplays) of Paris is Burning to his work on Ben-Hur, "Vidal was considered many things outside of his writerly pursuits" and one of his most famous works, The City and the Pillar, is said to be one of the first mainstream American novels to feature overtly gay characters at its center." It was so controversial at the time that The New York Times refused to review it in 1948. His passion for Hollywood and his interests never wained.
Another author, Ray Bradbury lost his life in 2012. Best known for works like Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, Something Wicked This Way Comes, and The Illustrated Man, "Bradbury gained notoriety around the world as one the 20th century's most important voices in science fiction."
In May, the children's literature world lost the iconic creator of Where The Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak, the wildly imaginative voice of growing up everywhere. He was considered "a defining voice in children's literature as both an author and illustrator."
This December, we lost Jenni Rivera, the world-renowned Mexican-American singer and reality star. Rivera had "a wildly popular career as a singer and reality-television star and has sold over 20 million albums worldwide in addition to her mun2 reality series I Love Jenni." Millions of fans the world over mourned her untimely passing in a plane crash. Other iconic musicians to leave too soon included the and-you-don't-stop, intergalatic party-rights-fighter Adam Yauch of The Beastie Boys lost his battle with cancer in May. Fans the world over mourned the shocking loss of such a huge player in music and movies, as his Oscilloscope Laboratories is "now one of the most important distributors in the film landscape."
These two heavyweights weren't the only losses in music, which also included such big names as "sitar master and Oscar winner" Ravi Shankar, The Monkees' own lead dreamboat and television star Davy Jones, The BeeGees' founding member Robin Gibb, and At Last crooner Etta James. All of whom made huge marks within their respective genres. The loss of disco diva Donna Summer after a battle with cancer also shook the music world to its core.
In a tragic turn of events, director Tony Scott took his own life in August. Scott "rose to prominence in the 80s with Top Gun and Beverly Hills Cop II," He had recently co-produced the summer's alien blockbuster Prometheus with his brother," as well as several TV production credits including The Good Wife and NUMB3RS.
Others, including television actors Jack Klugman and William Windom of The Odd Couple and Murder, She Wrote also passed on in the past year. The men were 90 and 88, respectively. Dallas star Larry Hagman died of cancer complications in November, leaving behind a career that included I Dream of Jeannie, numerous stage productions, and several films like 1972's The Blob, and Oliver Stone's Nixon and Primary Colors. The comedian and actor Sherman Hemsley — star of movin' on up The Jeffersons passed away in July.
Sesame Street also lost two of its performers, director Emily Squires and puppeteer Jerry Nelson. Tom Cruise's mother in Risky Business, Janet Carroll also lost a lengthy battle with illness in May.
In the end, death will always be what comes after life, but the contributions of those we lost this year will reverberate within the industry for years and years to come. May they all rest in peace.
[Photo Credit: CHP/FameFlynet Pictures; Frazer Harrison/Getty Images; Carrie Devorah/WENN; Joseph Marzullo/WENN; WENN]
Follow Alicia on Twitter @alicialutes
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To title an episode "Helter Skelter" is to pack a heck of a lot of significance and general creepery into an episode without doing much. There's a lot of loaded meaning in the phrase—hello, Charles Manson!—but perhaps only the stage was set for such a coup. Will serial killers take over? Are secrets really that? What's scarier—love or fear? All these questions (and more!) are presented in tonight's new episode of Dexter.
Fear and love make you do crazy things, Dexter muses, and it's true. So many of our characters' actions tonight were influenced by both fear and love—sometimes even because of a fear OF love. Dexter is afraid he might love Hannah. Deb is afraid of her love for Dexter. Joey Quinn is afraid of what the Koshkas will make him do since they own the woman he loves. And Isaak Sirko? He's fearful of his imminent death, but not so afraid of love (it's arguably the one thing about him that makes sense). But does using the nonsensical nature of love excuse some of the nonsense we saw tonight? Only time will tell, but let's discuss in the meantime.
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Isaak is in hiding from the Koshka Brotherhood, who now want him dead—they're fearful of him and his uncontrollable blood lust for the life of Dexter Morgan. Vengeance is a dirty business when intertwined with human emotions. Oh, how the times have turned! Isaak sets up a plan with a contract killer—but for what? We never find out during this episode, but something tells us that even though Isaak doesn't end up killing Dexter Morgan, he hasn't given up his quest for vengeance all that easy. Isaak needs to stay alive for now, though, so he comes to Dexter's apartment to convince Dex to kill the men out to get him. Isaak is fearful; he will keep Dexter alive in return for killing the two men the Koshkas sent to snuff him out. But when Isaak cannot convince Dexter based on the welfare of his own life to comply, he brings Hannah into the fold: game, on.
When it comes to sibling relations, the Morgans are more f**ked up than the kids from Flowers in the Attic. Deb's clearly been avoiding Dexter; though we're not totally sure for how long. Apparently, Dexter thought Deb might have felt that way for awhile? (Say what?) And he thinks it's OK and makes sense (that she might be in love with him)? It's logical? Dexter. C'mon now. He compares Deb's love of him to his love of M&amp;Ms. (Oh Dexy: you're so overly-logical, it's offensive.) But now, thanks to Hannah McKay and Isaak Sirko, he almost has a slight understanding of human emotions—at least a little bit. "You and I...we endure," he explains to Deb, attempting to quell her apprehensions over her confession. "Maybe that's what love is: endurance. Of course you think you're in love with me. ... It's logical. ... You're not crazy." Yeah, coming from a serial killer, though? Those words hold slightly less weight.
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Now that the tables have turned and Isaak Sirko is working with Dexter rather than against him, we finally get to see a few dead bodies. It feels like we haven't seen one of those in awhile (even though that's not true)! But it seems like what Isaak really wants is to understand, is the realDexter Morgan—which, is no small feat considering the man barely has a grasp on that himself.
While Hannah is doing her best impression of Black Snake Moan, Dexter is getting the nth degree from Isaak: "Why are you a killer?" Dexter cooly responds to Isaak's inquiries regarding why he kills (it's not a badge of honor with him) with a very logical statement: "my needs are different." Want more than that? Don't worry, Isaak, because if anything happens to Hannah McKay, you'll be the first to find out. Otherwise, you can just forget it. The man is an emotional iron curtain.
So now that Dexter is working with Isaak Sirko, the two hitmen out to get him are obviously toast. Never cross a serial killer's path, my dudes: this is your already-probably-pretty-obvious fair warning. Taking out the first hitman (Mickic) at the shooting range, and luring Caffrey to a Koshka boat for his death sentence, the kills in this episode were decidedly very un-Dexter—as these things have recently become over the past few episodes. Gone are the days of plastic wrap and body dismemberment. Dexter's killing this go-around is all about leaving evidence—evidence that will keep him (or rather, the Bay Harbor Butcher?) from being attached to the crime scenes. It's a pretty scary game you're playing, Dexter.
...Which is a great way to segue to LaGuerta's investigation into the Bay Harbor Butcher, and her theories that he's still alive. She meets up with former police Captain Tom Matthews to prove what she already (at least subconciously) knows: her list of suspects should be a heck of a lot shorter. At first, Matthews is all "ha ha, that's cute. I'm not helping you with anything!" but seeing an opportunity to bolster his campaign to get his 40-years-in-the-making pension back, he later agrees to help LaGuerta out. "That little list of yours? You'd be surprised about what i know about some of the names on it," Matthews explains. Oh snap, does he know that Dexter is a killer? Or is everyone at Miami Metro just a generally horrible person hiding all sorts of sordid secrets? Is that the big secret twist of this show? We'll have to wait and see! But seriously, LaGuerta knows that Dexter is the Bay Harbor Butcher. It's just a matter of time before this all explodes. It just sucks that we have to wait so long!
But one thing we we don't have to wait for? An emotional explosion: Quinn took care of that bit for us, the little hothead. You'd think the dirty cops would be able to keep it together a bit more! Trying to escape the clutches of the Koshka Brotherhood is hard, though, y'all! Especially when they can f**k your girlfriend. That's right, Quinn—don't forget that your girlfriend is still owned by these people. George reminded Quinn of this by sleeping with Nadia as a means to get back at Quinn for ignoring him. And, Quinn, being the level-headed dude that he is, promptly throws George through a glass wall and beats him up. Oh good! This will end well.
Ultimately, the episode wraps itself up quite neatly—tooneatly, if you ask me, but who is?—because Hannah ends up escaping Jurg's clutches: thanks to Deb's snooping at the behest of Dexter. Quinn lives to outrun the Koshkas another day. Deb has kept Dexter's love and his secret alive and well. And LaGuerta has signed herself up for help from Matthews.
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The biggest shocker of them all though? The death of Isaak Sirko. Yep, that's right! After all that—all the hitmen, all the treachery, all the work: for naught. George, shortly after Caffrey is killed, shows up on the boat and kills Isaak himself. (Never send an amateur to do a real man's job!) And instead of asking Dexter for medical help, he asks for the one thing that Dexter can give him that no one else can: a chance to rest in peace alongside his lover, Viktor. Dexter obliges in what was probably the nicest thing he's ever done. Wow, maybe these human emotions arehaving an effect on Dex.
The relationship between Isaak and Dexter has arguably been one of the most enriching and expounding ones we've seen in the series. Finally, we see Dexter being pushed in a more human direction—Isaak was always insistent on asking the questions that other people wouldn't. "Death has always calmed me. ... It's predictable," Dexter explains when asked why he kills. "I feel like I don't have any control, and I don't know if I want to move on," Isaak explains when Dexter questions him right back. "Was it worth it? those feelings for him that cost you everything?" Dex inquires. Of course, Isaak explains: "I never had to hide. I was finally..." "...alive." Isaak, in a glimmering moment of possibility for our serial killer, says what others have long only dreamed of: "There's hope for you yet." If anyone's taught him anything, it's not Hannah McKay or Deb, it's Isaak Sirko. The two really were peas in a pod. It'll be interesting to see what Dexter does with his lifetime's worth of realizations now that Isaak is gone.
"Maybe you can be fine with being the cause of someone else's death but I can't," Deb declares. "That's not who I am." She is, of course, talking to Hannah McKay in a moment that was probably supposed to show a shift in Deb (her whole "I'm going to do things for myself rather than Dexter" schpeal was just not at all believable). The biggest emotional revelation? Dexter's acceptance of the chaos over logic when it comes to human emotions. While visiting a recovering Hannah, he snuggles in close (yes, Dexter actually SNUGGLED another human being) and says "...maybe that's how it's supposed to be. Out of my control" he says. "All I know is that when I'm with you I feel...safe." Only a serial killer could find solace and safety in another serial killer!
What did you think of this week's episode? Let us know in the comments!
[Photo Credit: Showtime]
Follow Alicia on Twitter @alicialutes
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Here's something to make us all feel old — today marks the birth of the one and only Sir Paul McCartney, who is now 70 years old. And while the youth of today may be trying to figure out who he is, those of us who have been following this artistic legend's career can appreciate just how much this man has shaped the history of music. And his band The Beatles (you might have heard of them) didn't do so poorly either.
All-in-all, McCartney has experienced a rather extraordinary career throughout his lifetime, so it should come as no surprise that celebrities and reality show contestants of all ages have covered a wide variety of his songs — some good, and some not-so-good. So in honor of this musical great's birthday, here's a look back at seven of the best and worst covers of McCartney's most iconic songs.
The Best:
Bob Dylan — "Yesterday"
This Beatles' classic has been covered by over 2,200 artists, which is more than any other song in the history of recorded music. But Dylan somehow manages to do the song justice.
Ike &amp; Tina Turner — "Get Back"
Turner uses her vocal, howling chops in the best way possible for this popular hit song, proving that she doesn't have to be rolling on the river to earn a spot on our iTunes list.
Steven Tyler — "She Came In Through the Bathroom Window"
This American Idol judge may act a little strange at times, but he still knows how to properly rock out a song. Tyler performed this tribute to McCartney at the 33rd Annual Kennedy Center Honors. Now if only his wardrobe could be as good as his singing.
Jack White — "Mother Nature's Son"
Jack White performed an absolutely awesome cover of this song at The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize ceremony in 2010, where McCartney won for Popular Song.
Ray Charles — "Yesterday"
Many people believe Ray Charles performs the best cover of "Yesterday" amid all of the other celebrity talent. But then again, pretty much everything this artist has ever done has been magnificent. You've definitely got the right one, baby!
Jim Sturgess — "All My Loving"
The dreamy Sturgess proves very effective at making the ladies swoon in this 2007 musical drama. This song in particular leaves you especially weak in the knees and gives you a great chance to enjoy the superb lyrics.
Billy Joel — "Back In The USSR"
Come on, this is Billy Joel we're talking about. Of course he's going to be amazing. Granted, nothing can compare to McCartney's original vocals, but this comes in a close second.
Next: While some covers are hot, others are not.The Worst:
Crystal Bowersox (Idol contestant) — "Maybe I'm Amazed"
Though she was definitely a fantastic singer in general, this song was just not the right choice for her, especially since she didn't sing the lyrics correctly. A big reality show no-no if there ever was one.
Katie Stevens (Idol contestant) — "Let It Be"
She's got great vocal moments, but those high pitched screeches just aren't the type of quality you like to hear in a McCartney song.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt — "Hey Jude"
Can anyone get on board with this song rendition?
Jonas Brothers — "Hello, Goodbye"
This poorly redone version of such a classic song is enough to send someone right over the edge on a Monday morning. Hello and Goodbye to this cover!
Alvin and the Chipmunks — "I Saw Her Standing There"
Just let the pitch speak for itself on this one...
Bing Crosby — "Hey Jude"
This guy has such a unique voice and sound that it's hard to associate him with anything besides Christmas music. Are you dreaming of a white Christmas when you listen to this cover?
Siouxsie &amp; The Banshees — "Helter Skelter"
We saved the very worst one for last. The video quality in this one far exceeds that of the vocal quality of the performance.
Paul McCartney Birthday
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Theatrics slapstick and cheer are cinematic qualities you rarely find outside the realm of animation. Disney perfected it with their pantheon of cartoon classics mixing music humor spectacle and light-hearted drama that swept up children while still capturing the imaginations and hearts of their parents. But these days even reinterpretations of fairy tales get the gritty make-over leaving little room for silliness and unfiltered glee. Emerging through that dark cloud is Mirror Mirror a film that achieves every bit of imagination crafted by its two-dimensional predecessors and then some. Under the eye of master visualist Tarsem Singh (The Fall Immortals) Mirror Mirror's heightened realism imbues it with the power to pull off anything — and the movie never skimps on the anything.
Like its animated counterparts Mirror Mirror stays faithful to its source material but twists it just enough to feel unique. When Snow White (Lily Collins) was a little girl her father the King ventured into a nearby dark forest to do battle with an evil creature and was never seen or heard from again. The kingdom was inherited by The Queen (Julia Roberts) Snow's evil stepmother and the fair-skinned beauty lived locked up in the castle until her 18th birthday. Grown up and tired of her wicked parental substitute White sneaks out of the castle to the village for the first time. There she witnesses the economic horrors The Queen has imposed upon the people of her land all to fuel her expensive beautification. Along the way Snow also meets Prince Alcott (Armie Hammer) who is suffering from his own money troubles — mainly being robbed by a band of stilt-wearing dwarves. When the Queen catches wind of the secret excursion she casts Snow out of the castle to be murdered by her assistant Brighton (Nathan Lane).
Fairy tales take flack for rejecting the idea of women being capable but even with its flighty presentation and dedication to the old school Disney method Mirror Mirror empowers its Snow White in a genuine way thanks to Collins' snappy charming performance. After being set free by Brighton Snow crosses paths with the thieving dwarves and quickly takes a role on their pilfering team (which she helps turn in to a Robin Hooding business). Tarsem wisely mines a spectrum of personalities out of the seven dwarves instead of simply playing them for one note comedy. Sure there's plenty of slapstick and pun humor (purposefully and wonderfully corny) but each member of the septet stands out as a warm compassionate companion to Snow even in the fantasy world.
Mirror Mirror is richly designed and executed in true Tarsem-fashion with breathtaking costumes (everything from ball gowns to the dwarf expando-stilts to ridiculous pirate ship hats with working canons) whimsical sets and a pitch-perfect score by Disney-mainstay Alan Menken. The world is a storybook and even its monsters look like illustrations rather than photo-real creations. But what makes it all click is the actors. Collins holds her own against the legendary Julia Roberts who relishes in the fun she's having playing someone despicable. She delivers every word with playful bite and her rapport with Lane is off-the-wall fun. Armie Hammer riffs on his own Prince Charming physique as Alcott. The only real misgiving of the film is the undercooked relationship between him and Snow. We know they'll get together but the journey's half the fun and Mirror Mirror serves that portion undercooked.
Children will swoon for Mirror Mirror but there's plenty here for adults — dialogue peppered with sharp wisecracks and a visual style ripped from an elegant tapestry. The movie wears its heart on its sleeve and rarely do we get a picture where both the heart and the sleeve feel truly magical.
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In This Means War – a stylish action/rom-com hybrid from director McG – Tom Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises) and Chris Pine (Star Trek) star as CIA operatives whose close friendship is strained by the fires of romantic rivalry. Best pals FDR (Pine) and Tuck (Hardy) are equally accomplished at the spy game but their fortunes diverge dramatically in the dating realm: FDR (so nicknamed for his obvious resemblance to our 32nd president) is a smooth-talking player with an endless string of conquests while Tuck is a straight-laced introvert whose love life has stalled since his divorce. Enter Lauren (Reese Witherspoon) a pretty plucky consumer-products evaluator who piques both their interests in separate unrelated encounters. Tuck meets her via an online-dating site FDR at a video-rental store. (That Lauren is tech-savvy enough to date online but still rents movies in video stores is either a testament to her fascinating mix of contradictions or more likely an example of lazy screenwriting.)
When Tuck and FDR realize they’re pursuing the same girl it sparks their respective competitive natures and they decide to make a friendly game of it. But what begins as a good-natured rivalry swiftly devolves into romantic bloodsport with both men using the vast array of espionage tools at their disposal – from digital surveillance to poison darts – to gain an edge in the battle for Lauren’s affections. If her constitutional rights happen to be violated repeatedly in the process then so be it.
Lauren for her part remains oblivious to the clandestine machinations of her dueling suitors and happily basks in the sudden attention from two gorgeous men. Herein we find the Reese Witherspoon Dilemma: While certainly desirable Lauren is far from the irresistible Helen of Troy type that would inspire the likes of Tuck and FDR to risk their friendship their careers and potential incarceration for. At several points in This Means War I found myself wondering if there were no other peppy blondes in Los Angeles (where the film is primarily set) for these men to pursue. Then again this is a film that wishes us to believe that Tom Hardy would have trouble finding a date so perhaps plausibility is not its strong point.
When Lauren needs advice she looks to her boozy foul-mouthed best friend Trish (Chelsea Handler). Essentially an extension of Handler’s talk-show persona – an acquired taste if there ever was one – Trish’s dialogue consists almost exclusively of filthy one-liners delivered in rapid-fire succession. Handler does have some choice lines – indeed they’re practically the centerpiece of This Means War’s ad campaign – but the film derives the bulk of its humor from the outrageous lengths Tuck and FDR go to sabotage each others’ efforts a raucous game of spy-versus-spy that carries the film long after Handler’s shtick has grown stale.
Business occasionally intrudes upon matters in the guise of Heinrich (Til Schweiger) a Teutonic arms dealer bent on revenge for the death of his brother. The subplot is largely an afterthought existing primarily as a means to provide third-act fireworks – and to allow McGenius an outlet for his ADD-inspired aesthetic proclivities. The film’s action scenes are edited in such a manic quick-cut fashion that they become almost laughably incoherent. In fairness to McG he does stage a rather marvelous sequence in the middle of the film in which Tuck and FDR surreptitiously skulk about Lauren's apartment unaware of each other's presence carefully avoiding detection by Lauren who grooves absentmindedly to Montel Jordan's "This Is How We Do It." The whole scene unfolds in one continuous take – or is at least craftily constructed to appear as such – captured by one very agile steadicam operator.
Whatever his flaws as a director McG is at least smart enough to know how much a witty script and appealing leads can compensate for a film’s structural and logical deficiencies. He proved as much with Charlie’s Angels a film that enjoys a permanent spot on many a critic’s Guilty Pleasures list and does so again with This Means War. The film coasts on the chemistry of its three co-stars and only runs into trouble when the time comes to resolve its romantic competition which by the end has driven its male protagonists to engage in all manner of underhanded and duplicitous activities. This Means War being a commercial film – and likely an expensive one at that – Witherspoon's heroine is mandated to make a choice and McG all but sidesteps the whole thorny matter of Tuck and FDR’s unwavering dishonesty not to mention their craven disregard for her privacy. (They regularly eavesdrop on her activities.) For all their obvious charms the truth is that neither deserves Lauren – or anything other than a lengthy jail sentence for that matter.
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Enigmatic and deliberate Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy makes no reservations while unraveling its heady spy story for better or worse. The film based on the bestselling novel by John Le Carre is purposefully perplexing effectively mirroring the central character George Smiley's (Gary Oldman) own mind-bending investigation of the British MI6's mole problem. But the slow burn pacing clinical shooting style and air of intrigue only go so far—Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy sports an incredible cast that can't dramatically translate the movie's impenetrable narrative. Almost from the get go the movie collapses under its own weight.
After a botched mission in Hungary that saw his colleague Jim (Mark Strong) gunned down in the streets Smiley and his boss Control (John Hurt) are released from the "Circus" (codename for England's Secret Intelligence Service). But soon after Smiley is brought back on board as an impartial observer tasked to uncover the possible infiltration of the organization. The former agent already dealing with the crippling of his own marriage attempts to sift through the history and current goings on of the Circus narrowing his hunt down to four colleagues: Percy aka "Tinker" (Toby Jones) Bill aka "Tailor" (Colin Firth) Roy aka "Soldier" (Ciaran Hinds) and Toy aka "Poor Man" (David Dencik). Working with Peter (Benedict Cumberbatch) a conflicted younger member of the service and Ricki (Tom Hardy) a rogue agent who has information of his own Smiley slowly uncovers the muddled truth—occasionally breaking in to his own work place and crossing his own friends to do so.
Describing Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy as dense doesn't seem complicated enough. The first hour of the monster mystery moves at a sloth's pace trickling out information like the tedious drips of a leaky faucet. The talent on display is undeniable but the characters Smiley included are so cold that a connection can never be made. TTSS sporadically jumps around from past to present timelines without any indication: a tactic that proves especially confusing when scenes play out in reoccurring locations. It's not until halfway through that the movie decides to kick into high gear Smiley's search for a culprit finally becoming clear enough to thrill. A film that takes its time is one thing but Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy does so without any edge or hook.
What the movie lacks in coherency it makes up for in style and thespian gravitas. Director Tomas Alfredson has assembled some of the finest British performers working today and they turn the script's inaccessible spy jargon into poetry. Firth stands out as the group's suave slimeball a departure from his usual nice guy roles. Hardy assures us he's the next big thing once again as the agency's resident moppet a lover who breaks down after a romantic fling uncovers horrifying truth. Oldman is given the most difficult task of the bunch turning the reserved contemplative Smiley into a real human. He half succeeds—his observational slant in the beginning feels like an extension of the movie's bigger problems but once gets going in the second half of the film he's quite a bit of fun.
Alfredson constructs Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy like a cinematic architect each frame dripping with perfectly kitschy '70s production design and camera angles that make the spine tingle. He creates paranoia through framing similar to the Coppola's terrifying The Conversation but unlike that film TTSS doesn't have the characters or story to match. The movie strives to withhold information and succeeds—too much so. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy wants us to solve a mystery with George Smiley but it never clues us in to exactly why we should want to.

The first and most important thing you should know about Paramount Pictures’ Thor is that it’s not a laughably corny comic book adaptation. Though you might find it hokey to hear a bunch of muscled heroes talk like British royalty while walking around the American Southwest in LARP garb director Kenneth Branagh has condensed vast Marvel mythology to make an accessible straightforward fantasy epic. Like most films of its ilk I’ve got some issues with its internal logic aesthetic and dialogue but the flaws didn’t keep me from having fun with this extra dimensional adventure.
Taking notes from fellow Avenger Iron Man the story begins with an enthralling event that takes place in a remote desert but quickly jumps back in time to tell the prologue which introduces the audience to the shining kingdom of Asgard and its various champions. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) son of Odin is heir to the throne but is an arrogant overeager and ill-tempered rogue whose aggressive antics threaten a shaky truce between his people and the frost giants of Jotunheim one of the universe’s many realms. Odin (played with aristocratic boldness by Anthony Hopkins) enraged by his son’s blatant disregard of his orders to forgo an assault on their enemies after they attempt to reclaim a powerful artifact banishes the boy to a life among the mortals of Earth leaving Asgard defenseless against the treachery of Loki his mischievous “other son” who’s always felt inferior to Thor. Powerless and confused the disgraced Prince finds unlikely allies in a trio of scientists (Natalie Portman Stellan Skarsgard and Kat Dennings) who help him reclaim his former glory and defend our world from total destruction.
Individually the make-up visual effects CGI production design and art direction are all wondrous to behold but when fused together to create larger-than-life set pieces and action sequences the collaborative result is often unharmonious. I’m not knocking the 3D presentation; unlike 2010’s genre counterpart Clash of the Titans the filmmakers had plenty of time to perfect the third dimension and there are only a few moments that make the decision to convert look like it was a bad one. It’s the unavoidable overload of visual trickery that’s to blame for the frost giants’ icy weaponized constructs and other hybrids of the production looking noticeably artificial. Though there’s some imagery to nitpick the same can’t be said of Thor’s thunderous sound design which is amped with enough wattage to power The Avengers’ headquarters for a century.
Chock full of nods to the comics the screenplay is both a strength and weakness for the film. The story is well sequenced giving the audience enough time between action scenes to grasp the characters motivations and the plot but there are tangential narrative threads that disrupt the focus of the film. Chief amongst them is the frost giants’ fore mentioned relic which is given lots of attention in the first act but has little effect on the outcome. In addition I felt that S.H.I.E.L.D. was nearly irrelevant this time around; other than introducing Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye the secret security faction just gets in the way of the movie’s momentum.
While most of the comedy crashes and burns there are a few laughs to be found in the film. Most come from star Hemsworth’s charismatic portrayal of the God of Thunder. He plays up the stranger-in-a-strange-land aspect of the story with his cavalier but charming attitude and by breaking all rules of diner etiquette in a particularly funny scene with the scientists whose respective roles as love interest (Portman) friendly father figure (Skarsgaard) and POV character (Dennings) are ripped right out of a screenwriters handbook.
Though he handles the humorous moments without a problem Hemsworth struggles with some of the more dramatic scenes in the movie; the result of over-acting and too much time spent on the Australian soap opera Home and Away. Luckily he’s surrounded by a stellar supporting cast that fills the void. Most impressive is Tom Hiddleston who gives a truly humanistic performance as the jealous Loki. His arc steeped in Shakespearean tragedy (like Thor’s) drums up genuine sympathy that one rarely has for a comic book movie villain.
My grievances with the technical aspects of the production aside Branagh has succeeded in further exploring the Marvel Universe with a film that works both as a standalone superhero flick and as the next chapter in the story of The Avengers. Thor is very much a comic book film and doesn’t hide from the reputation that its predecessors have given the sub-genre or the tropes that define it. Balanced pretty evenly between “serious” and “silly ” its scope is large enough to please fans well versed in the source material but its tone is light enough to make it a mainstream hit.

Charles Bronson may have passed away but the spirit of his Death Wish films lives on -- albeit in an absurdly twisted fashion -- in F. Gary Gray’s (The Italian Job Be Cool) gleefully over-the-top revenge thriller Law Abiding Citizen.
Taking a welcome break from his recent run of lame chick flicks Gerard Butler (300 RocknRolla) stars as Clyde Shelton a loving husband and father whose placid suburban existence is upended when a couple of mangy meth monsters burst into his home. Not content to merely burglarize the place they proceed to butcher Clyde’s wife and daughter as he lies in a heap on the floor periodically losing consciousness after being stabbed several times.
The killers are soon apprehended and a grieving Clyde who somehow managed to survive the whole ordeal eagerly awaits swift retribution from the justice system. Hoping for the grim solace that only the death penalty can provide he places his faith in Nick Rice (Oscar winner Jamie Foxx) the hotshot district attorney charged with prosecuting the case to do the right thing and see to it that the two killers fry.
Nick however has other plans. Seeing the case as anything but open-and-shut and fearful that a not-guilty verdict in such a high-profile trial could derail his ambitious career plans (he sees himself as a Giuliani in the making) he opts to strike a plea deal: One man gets a death sentence while the other gets a mere 10 years in return for testifying against his cohort.
Chastened by the unseemly bargain Clyde takes matters into his own hands delivering his own uniquely painful brand of vigilante justice to the sinister men who destroyed his family. But he doesn’t stop there not by a longshot. His grudge extends much much further -- to the very heart of the justice system itself -- and he intends to bring the entire corrupt apparatus down even if he has to do it while locked up inside a jail cell. Which is where he ends up after police nab him for personally imposing the death penalty on the convicted killers.
Indeed Clyde proves to be something of a savant when it comes to killing people in creative cinematic ways employing exploding cell phones remote-control machine guns and other methods to take out the various judges attorneys and politicians on his hit list. Most amazingly he orchestrates all of this mayhem from behind bars. Seriously this guy’s flair for novelty violence makes the Joker’s antics in The Dark Knight seem amateurish by comparison.
The task of putting an end to all of Clyde’s mayhem naturally falls on Nick. And this is where Law Abiding Citizen’s fatal flaw emerges. Whereas Gray Butler and virtually everyone else seem to enthusiastically embrace the utter ridiculousness of it all Foxx plays it determinedly straight as if he’s the only one in the movie who isn’t in on the joke. Watching his performance it’s almost as if he’s making a different film than everyone else.
The right way for Law Abiding Citizen to end is for Foxx to administer an appropriately ironic death to Butler’s character utter something like “I rest my case ” and wink at the camera as he makes his exit. (Click here to read our exclusive interview with Foxx.)
I won’t give any spoilers away but suffice it to say this is NOT how the movie ends.